While Su Xiaoqi was at a loss for words, Shen Mingzhu, after the initial panic, had already reacted.
She knew this was merely the child's expression of gluttony and playfulness.
Recalling some of her younger brother Shen Zhao's childish sayings from the past.
She immediately said, "Prince Bao is joking. Whatever you want to eat, send one of the nannies by your side.
I'll teach her how to make it, and once she learns, Prince Bao can eat it every day."
"Oh, that's a great idea," Brother Bao clapped his hands, his hands covered in oil, and his mouth also greasy.
Su Xiaoqi felt a little embarrassed seeing this.
She thought to herself that next time she should talk to Shen Mingzhu and not casually let Brother Bao eat these fried foods anymore.
These were linked to junk food in modern times.
Su Xiaoqi consoled herself that it was fine for this one time, but she absolutely couldn't let the nannies learn from Brother Bao.
After everyone ate and drank for a while, chatting as they ate, Su Xiaoqi finally understood the reason for the siblings' visit.
They were sent by their mother, the Grand Princess.
Because the Grand Princess, as a member of the imperial family, had to attend a ceremony, they felt bored leaving the children alone in the mansion.
Taking them along was not appropriate, so she immediately thought of Su Xiaoqi.
When the siblings heard they were going to the Zhuangyuan Mansion, they became more enthusiastic than each other.
They all raised their hands high.
It was just a rushed visit, and they hadn't had time to send a formal invitation to Su Xiaoqi.
However, Su Xiaoqi never paid much attention to such formalities.
As long as she was at home, she was very happy to entertain them.
After all, although the siblings each had their own minor flaws, they were generally very well-behaved.
As long as they were served delicious food and drinks and provided with entertainment, they were quite worry-free.
As such, she asked Shen Mingzhu to play with them while she sent Zhang Yu out to gather information.
Although she outwardly claimed not to care much about the so-called Southern Yue princess,
she couldn't help but take it seriously in her heart.
After all, she was coveting her man.
In the past, when she was indifferent to Shen Yun, it didn't matter. If she heard of a woman liking Shen Yun, she could even listen to it as a joke.
But now that she had Shen Yun in her heart, she couldn't afford to ignore it.
Shen Yun did not return until nightfall.
As soon as he entered, Su Xiaoqi smelled a strong scent of alcohol.
She covered her nose and looked at Shen Yun, "Hmm, you've been drinking?"
In the past, Shen Yun would occasionally drink due to official social obligations.
But once he drank, he would change his clothes in the front courtyard before entering the back courtyard.
He never brought the smell of alcohol back with him.
Shen Yun nodded and said dully, "My lady..."
His voice was muffled, and he seemed a bit dispirited.
Su Xiaoqi was a little surprised. The Shen Yun she had always seen was either calm and composed or spirited and ambitious.
When had he ever appeared so listless?
Looking at Shen Yun, Su Xiaoqi couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache.
She even forgot about the matter of the Southern Yue princess Yijiang that she wanted to ask him about.
After Su Xiaoqi helped Shen Yun wash up and bathe, and they lay peacefully on the bed, she asked him what was wrong today.
Logically speaking, he was supposed to attend a ceremony and shouldn't have been drinking.
"Old Prince Ning revealed my relationship with the Ning Prince's Mansion in front of His Majesty after the ceremony."
Su Xiaoqi was startled, "He wants His Majesty to issue a decree?"
Shen Yun shook his head, "Not necessarily. He just wants to leave us no retreat."
Revealing Shen Yun's relationship with the Ning Prince's Mansion in front of the emperor and everyone present.
Now the entire court knew that he was the son of Prince Ning, Shen Zhongwen.
If he didn't return to the Ning Prince's Mansion, the gossip of people from all walks of life would soon engulf him.
Su Xiaoqi understood something and asked softly, "Then, husband, what do you plan to do?"
She could tell that what Madam Zhao had said about not entering the Ning Prince's Mansion was true.
And the Ning Prince's Mansion had not prepared a suitable position for her.
However, Madam Zhao had not stopped Shen Yun from acknowledging his lineage.
This was because she knew the strength of the Ning Prince's Mansion.
They would not allow the bloodline they wished to acknowledge to remain outside.
Especially now that the Ning Prince's Mansion did not even have a suitable heir.
It was even less likely that Shen Yun, a blood relative of the Ning Prince's Mansion, would still be outside.
Shen Yun had a headache, and this was also what made him depressed.
He could accept any blow and face any difficulty.
But this matter of his background was truly troublesome for him.
According to his original intention, he wished to continue as before, as he had told his mother and Xiaoqi.
But with Old Prince Ning making such a move, he suddenly became passive.
To insist on not acknowledging Old Prince Ning as before would be detrimental to his reputation.
He himself didn't care.
But he was an official now, and his reputation was very important.
If such a matter were to spread, people would not sympathize with the hardships their family had endured for over a decade of being abandoned by the Ning Prince's Mansion.
Others would only say that he was heartless, disregarding his ancestors and clan.
How could such a person be of great use?
Therefore, Old Prince Ning's move was equivalent to a decisive blow.
And in the end, he would likely only have one path to take – to be forced to return to the Ning Prince's Mansion.
There was no problem with him going back.
But what about his mother, his wife, and his younger siblings?
He already knew his mother's wishes.
She had said that she would absolutely not return.
As for his wife Xiaoqi's wishes, he did not yet know.
Su Xiaoqi said obediently, "I'll listen to my husband."
She didn't want to put any more pressure or burden on Shen Yun.
Moreover, when it came to entering the Ning Prince's Mansion, she couldn't help but think of the jade pendant on Shen Zhongwen.
If she could get close to him, perhaps she could obtain that jade pendant.
Even if she couldn't own it, she could at least get it to study.
She wanted to see if there was a spatial dimension within that jade pendant.
The next day, the sun was shining brightly.
Due to Emperor Yongxing's formal ascension to the throne, he announced to his ancestors, granted a general amnesty, and in consideration of the previous year's famine, reduced taxes by one-tenth this year, and waived many taxes created by clever schemes and nominal titles.
He rewarded agriculture and animal husbandry, aiming for recovery and rest, so that the people could live and work in peace and contentment.
He also held special imperial examinations, increasing the provincial examinations in the autumn of this year, and the metropolitan and palace examinations in the spring of next year.
As for other meritorious individuals who assisted him in ascending the throne, they were rewarded according to their contributions.
The number was large, so they would not be mentioned one by one.
As for those who stood in his way on the path to the throne, they were eliminated one by one.
Some were confiscated of their property and exiled, while others were dismissed from office and demoted to commoners.
Among them, the most fortunate was the former Crown Prince Liang Xinran, who had been demoted to Prince Ping by the former emperor.
Emperor Yongxing had never imposed any extra punishment on him.
He still followed the imperial decree of being confined with his entire family during the former emperor's reign.
Su Xiaoqi changed into her third-rank official's ceremonial robe, her small face creased, and she lamented softly, "His Majesty is truly a benevolent and kind ruler."
Not only did he show leniency to Prince Ping, but he also showed leniency to his former followers.
The more serious offenders were exiled or dismissed from office.
But many officials were still serving in the court.
"A benevolent ruler is a blessing to the people!" Shen Yun's reason for supporting Emperor Yongxing in the first place was that he was more benevolent and kind than Prince Ping, and had the intention of doing practical things for the people.
After all, he had also experienced the hardship of exile and had been to the lower levels, experiencing the suffering of ordinary people.
Therefore, he understood the suffering of the common people even more and cherished the current good times.
"But being too benevolent might not be good!" Su Xiaoqi thought of what she had read in books that a few years after the new emperor ascended the throne, a rebellion broke out.
And those rebels were instigated by the current Prince Ping.
Although the scale was not large, the duration was long.
For a time, it caused the people to suffer greatly.
It took Emperor Yongxing five full years to quell the rebellion.
The war had more or less affected the lives of the people.
To prevent such a situation from happening, Su Xiaoqi believed that everything should be nipped in the bud now.
Do not let rebels see any hope, nor give them the conditions to act!